“'Planet Walker,' by John Francis. It's about a guy who witnessed the oil spill in '71 and decided to stop riding in cars and walk everywhere. He eventually decided to stop talking as well and ended up doing it for more than 20 years. It's a really interesting read.”

— Jake Lasorsa, personal chef, Lawrence

“'Water for Elephants,' by Sara Gruen. It's great. It's about a guy who was training to become a vet but runs off to join the circus. Then he's a 90-year-old man in a nursing home looking back, and it goes back and forth from the present to the past.”

— Colette Gaches, domestic goddess, Lawrence

“'Free Lunch,' by David Cay Johnston. It's about how state and local governments provide too many tax benefits to the wealthy.”

— Dave Kingsley, business owner, Lawrence

“'The Audacity of Hope,' by Barack Obama. It's just about his politics, beliefs and how he wants to change America for the better.”

— Meghan Daniels, KU sophomore, Long Beach, Calif.

“'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,' by J.K. Rowling. My nephew got me hooked, and I'm reading through all of them before I see any of the movies.”

— Nicole Gandy, Kansas University graduate student, Lawrence